Car coupling



L. OLCSVARY CAR COUPLING Aug. 29, 1939.

7 Filed mil 4, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 L; OLCSVARY cm COUPLING Filed April 4; 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 29, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in car couplings, and it is among the objects thereof to provide a coupling particularly adapted to mine cars but generally useful on 5 railway cars where frequent coupling and uncoupling is necessitated by the nature of their use.

In accordance with the present invention, provision is made to assure positive and quick en- 10 gagement of the coupling heads, which are provided with inclined entrance receptacles to facilitate centering of the male coupler, and which is further provided with a coupling pin which automatically snaps into position upon engage- 15 ment of the coupling members.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a coupler link pivotally mounted on the male coupler member, which link is self-centering and adapted to be positioned coaxially with the coupler bar or at substantially right angles to the longitudinal right axis of the coupler bar, thereby permitting movement of the coupled cars over very sharp turns.

These and other objects of the invention will 25 become more apparent from a consideration of the accompanying drawings constituting a part hereof in which like reference characters designate like parts, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a. car con- 30 pling embodying the principles of my invention, taken on a horizontal plane, centrally through the coupling;

Fig. 2 a cross-sectional View on a vertical plane taken along the line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a top plan view of the female coupler; Fig. 4 a vertical cross-sectional view of the coupler shown in Fig. 3, taken along the line 4 4, Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 a transverse vertical section of the female 40 coupler taken along the line 5--5, Fig. 3, Figs. 4 and 5 being illustrated with the cap plates removed.

With reference to the several figures of the drawings, the structure therein illustrated com- 45 prises coupling members I and 2 which embody heads 3, hollow stems 4 and angular flanges 5, heads 3 being provided at their upper ends with apertured lugs 6 through which coupling members I and 2 may be shifted horizontally or ver- 50 tically.

Coupling members and 2 are secured to their respective cars by the stems 4 and flanges 5. The heads 3 are provided with longitudinally extending recesses of rectangular shape in ver- 5 tical section, and having enlarged outer or entrance portions 1a, which are flared to receive the terminals of a coupling bar 8.

The male coupling head 2 is provided with open sides as shown in Fig. 1 to permit coupler bar 8 to pivot at a 90 angle. Coupling bar 8 5 is connected by pivot pin 9 to the coupling member 2 and it is yieldingly held in position by a block H3 slidably mounted in the recess 1, the block l0 carrying a roller II which engages the cam shape end I2 of the coupling bar 8, a plu- 10 rality of coil springs l3 normally biasing the slide block l0 in the direction of the coupling bar 8 to maintain yielding contact of the roller II with the cam-shaped end of the coupling bar. Coupling bar 3 is engaged with the coupling member i by means of the following mechanism:

A coupling pin I4 is disposed in a chamber I5 of the coupling member I, the opening l5 communicating with the opening I inwardly of the entrance portion la of the member I. The member I4 is mounted for sliding movement in the opening l5 and is provided with a cross-bar Mb from which depends a pin Ma. The cross-bar Mb is adapted to be supported on a latch 2|, Figs. 3 and 4 having a beveled face 2|a. Latch 2| is supported in a horizontal guide-way 2|a on the side of a vertical opening I6 in which a gravity block I8 is vertically movable. Block I8 is provided with trunnions I9 which operate in Vertical slots 20 to guide the block in its vertical movement. Block I8 is supported by a lever 23 which rests in notches 23a. and an arm 23b of said lever is. disposed in a slot 2|b of latch 2|.

The tendency of the latch 2| is toremain in a forward or down position when the car coupling is uncoupled. When the bar 8 strikes against the lower leveled edge |8a of the gravity weight block l8, the latter is forced upward and lever 23 draws the latch backward, allowing coupling pin M, which was held in raised position by latch 2|, to drop through the slot 24 in the coupling bar 8. To uncouple the cars, the coupling pin l4 and the pin Ma; are raised simultaneously, the bar |4b= striking the beveled face 2|a of the latch 2|, which forces the gravity block I8 upwardly and the latch 2| slides forward by action of lever 23 to support the cross-bar Mb as shown in Fig. 4.

To provide for quick and safe uncoupling, a lever 25 is provided which is secured to an arm 25a. of the lever pin Ma at 26 and is pivoted on a support 21, the lever being provided with a foot treadle 28. Another release comprises a cable 29 connected to the lever pin at 30 which extends upward through a pulley 3| attached 0 to the car and is provided with a loop grip 32. By depressing the treadle 28 or pulling the cable 29, the coupling is instantly released without subjecting the operator to the hazard of getting between the cars.

This coupling is especially adapted for use in mine cars as it enables the cars to be readily coupled and uncoupled without injury to the operator or coupling parts. Cap plate l'I prevents foreign matter from entering the coupling mechanism in openings 15 and I6, yet permitting unobstructed movements of the coupling operating parts.

Although one embodiment of the invention has been herein illustrated and described, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various modifications may be made in the details of construction without departing from the principles herein set forth.

I claim:

A car coupling comprising a pair of coupling heads and hollow stems for attaching the heads to the cars, one of said heads having a slotted coupler bar, a coupling pin mounted in the other of said heads in alignment with and adapted to engage the slot of said bar, said pin having a cross bar at the top thereof, a latch mounted for movement in a horizontal plane to support the pin in its upper position by engagement with said cross-bar, a gravity block disposed behind said coupling pin, and a lever mounted in said other of said heads and pivotally connected to said block to suspend said block in the path of movement of said coupler bar, said lever being loosely coupled to said latch by an arm of said lever to actuate said latch whereby it is moved away from the cross bar to drop the coupling pin when the coupler bar is moved into said hollow stem and actuates said block upwardly.

LOUIS OLCSVARY. 

